What factors should be considered using a smartphone in the paddock?

Working with your smart phone or tablet in the paddock has many benefits but also a few minor drawbacks . The main three issues relate to protecting your device, glare and ‘farmer’s fingers’.

Protecting your device

We recommend investing in a hardcase for your device. There is a wide variety of shapes, sizes, specifications and prices available. Do some research or talk to friends to work out what best suits your needs.

A fully sealed, waterproof, hardcase will protect your device from impacts, water and dust.

Glare

When using your device and the Stocktake Plus app in direct sunlight, glare may affect your screen vision. Reflections may overlay the screen view or the app may seem too dark to read. Some suggestions to overcome this issue include:

take your sunglasses off

shade the device with your hand or a piece of paper

move into the shade of a tree to complete your monitoring

purchase a screen protector that minimises glare while keeping the screen clean

purchase a special cover for your device that has a ‘lip’ to provide shade to the screen (or build your own out of something like a cereal box).

‘Farmer’s fingers’

Some people have difficulty working on small touch screens. We have tried to design the Stocktake Plus app with your fingers in mind, but if you are having trouble, try using a stylus pen for touch screens. Avaiable for under $10 from newsagents, tech. stores or online, a stylus makes using your device less frustrating for those with larger fingers. Alternatively, use your app on a tablet as seeing and touching a larger screen is much easier.